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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G.A.KUSTER MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 363,400. Patented May 24,1887;

rzns. Pinto-Uflwgnphr, Washington. a a

2 Sheets8heet 2 (No Model.)

0. A. KUSTER.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

PETERS, Pholo'ljlhographer, Wanhingmn. D C- UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

CHARLES A. KUSTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE PIANOPHONE COMPANY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,400, dated May 24,1887.

Application filed June 9, 1886. Serial No, 204,572. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. KUSTER, of Brooklyn, county of Kings, andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has relation to that class of mechanical musicalinstruments which are employed in connection with clocks or timepieces,and upon or by which tunes are played at any particular hour orhalf-hour, 850.

The objects of my invention are to provide a simple and easily-operatingmechanism which maybe driven by the ordinary striking mechanism of thetime-piece, to arrange the same in compact and convenient manner, sothat the axis of the barrel or cylinder may be located below thetime-piece at a distance therefrom, be driven by a simplechain-connection, and so that provision may be made for playing adifferent tune for every hour or half-hour indicated by the clock, andto provide simple and convenient means for throwing the playingmechanism out of gear at any time.

To accomplish all of this my improvements involve certain new and usefulpeculiarities of construction and relative arrangements or combinationsof parts, as will be herein first fully described, and then pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a view of my improved device in side elevation, a portion of theexterior casing being removed to show the location and arrangement ofthe interior parts. Fig. 2 is an end elevationshowing the.

dial or face of the time-piece and some of the interior working parts.

In both the figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur,indicate corresponding parts. 7

A is the exterior casing of the instrument. This is made of any suitablematerial and in the general form of a church with a steeple. Thetime-piece is located in the steeple and the playing mechanism withinthe main body of the casing, which body is amply large to accommodatethe works. Of course the casing may be ornamented in any desired manner.

13 is the dial of the timepiece or clock. The clock is of any pattern orstyle having astriking mechanism, the spring-drum of which isrepresented at 0. It has not been deemed necessary to illustrate theclock-train more in detail. I remove the ordinary bell of the clookandthe striking-hammer and apply a chain-wheel, as D, upon the end of shaftE, which shaft is revolved by the spring of the striking mechanism.

F is the drive-chain, which connects chainwheel D with a similar wheel,G, mounted upon the end of the shaft I of barrel or cylinder H. 7

Whenever the striking mechanism'of the clock is started, the shaft I andbarrel H will be caused to revolve and a tune will be played, as will behereinafter explained.

The barrel H contains a number of pins, as a a, properly located. Thesepins move the hammers or strikers K K at the proper in stant. The barrelis of ample diameter and length so that pins may be located therein fortwelve or twenty-four or other number of tunes; and it is so mountedupon its shaft that it may move longitudinally thereon while it iscompelled to turn or revolve as the shaft revolves. The connectionbetween the drum and its shaft is made by two arms, as L L, one outsideand one inside the barrel, both keyed to the shaft and connected by across-piece, M, which passes through a perforation in the head of thebarrel. This permits the barrel to move in the direction of its length,but compels it to turn with the shaft. nal movement is for the purposeof changing the tune, as is Well understood, and this move ment iseffected by a bar, b, connected with the barrel and carryinga pin 'orprojection, c, which enters a cam slot or groove, (Z, in a drum, N, thelatter being loosely mounted upon the shaft, but compelled by theentering pin a to turn with the shaft until it (the drum N) is arrestedby a dog or catch, 6, which is fitted to engage with the notches inwheel or The longitudiv I m flange f, applied upon the drum. The dog 0is mounted upon a hinged bar, g. This bar being elevated releases f andN, so that the drum and barrel may travel together, but being depressedit arrests the drum, and the barrel, with its arm I) and pin 0,continuing to revolve, is forced by the cam-groove in the drum to movein a longitudinal direction upon its shaft, and thus the requiredshifting of the barrel is accomplished. In the arrangement shown thebarrel is supposed to play one tune at each half-revolution. Twotrippers, as h h, are applied upon the barrel, and these operate atproper times to depress a hinged lever, i, which is connected with g byan arm, as 70. In the lever 13 is a notch, as at Z. As soon as tripperit arrives at this notch the lever z is elevated by a spring, as at m,and then elevates arm g and dog 6, permitting the drumN to turn. Thelever i is wide enough so that it will be struck by the trip pers inwhatever position the barrel may be upon its shaft. The trippers are soset that they will arrest the drum immediately after the tune is playedand before the striking mechanism of the clock is arrested, so that thebarrel shall be shifted and ready for playing the next tune when theclock striking train moves again.

0 O are the bells, which are struck by the hammers K K.

P is a lever hinged at or near its middle point and carrying twoinclined faces, as at p p, the end of the lever projecting through thecasing so as to be within convenientreach. The inclined faces bear uponpins projecting from hinged arms q q, carrying bars, as M, which may bebrought into contact with the strikers or hammers below their hinges.Upon depressing the outer end of lever I the hammers are carried out ofcontact with the bells and out of reach of the pins upon the barrel, sothat though the barrel revolves no sound will be produced.

R is a fan arranged to revolve with the shaft I, and calculated toregulate the speed of the playing mechanism.

The general arrangement above described is simple and compact, and theconstruction is such as to require but little power for operu ating thebarrel.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a musical instrument of the character herein set forth, the barrelor cylinder, the drum for shifting the same, mounted upon the same axis,the clock or time-piece, and the driving-chain connecting the axis ofthe barrel with the striking mechanism of the clock, combined andarranged substantially as shown and described.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination, with the barrel,of the drum mounted upon the same shaft and arranged to shift thebarrel, the trippers applied upon the barrel, and the connected arm andlever for arresting the moveinent of the drum, substantially as shownand described.

3. In a mechanical musical instrumcnthaving a barrel driven bychain-connection with the striking mechanism of a clock, the combination, with the hammers and the barrel for operating the same, of thehinged levers and bars for moving and holding the hammers out ofposition for striking the bells, substantially as shown and described.

at. In a mechanical musical instrument, the time-piece or clock, thebarrel, and the drivechain connecting the axis of the barrel with thestriking mechanism of the clock, the barrel being located below theclock and parallel with the axis ofthe striking mechanism thereof, andarranged to be moved back and forth by the drum mounted upon thebarrelaxis, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. KUSTER.

\Vitnesses:

J OHN BUCKLER, Worrrn Oseoov.

